Expanded-metal structure



June 24,1930, w. A. BATES 1,768,099.:

EXPANDED METAL STRUCTURE June 24?', 1930.

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w. A.Y BATES EXPANDED METAL STRUCTURE Fired ging. 8, 1927 2 shuts-'sheet 2 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE WALTER A BATES, 0E GARY, INDIANA, AssIeNoR To WALTER BATES STEEL con- PoRATIoN, 0E GARY, INDIANA, A CORPORATION oF DELAWARE EXPANDED-[METAL STRUCTURE Application led August 8, 1927. Serial No. 211,311.

The present invention relates to expanded `metal structures.

The present application is a. continuation as to common subject matter of applicants copending application Serial No. 118,206, iiled June 24,1926, for improvements in expanded metal structures, certain of the subject matter of the present application being divisional subject matter divided out of said copending application.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved expanded metal structure well adapted to meet the requirements of commercial operation which requirements have formerly been met by relatively expensive and relatively heavy fabricated structures.

Further objects will appear as the description procee Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 shows in side elevation a commercial rolled shape, an I-beam being chosen for illustration, said commercial rolled shape being provided with transverse slits which illustrate an initial operation in the treatment of said commercial shape according to the present invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are views similar to Figure 1 but showing the rolled shape after subsequent slitting operations have been performed. thereon; i, A

Figure 4` is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figures 1 to 3, but 'after a swedging operation has been performed thereon, and showing a die in position to perform its swedging operation;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the plane indicated by the arrows 5-5 of Fi ure 4;

igure 6 is a view in side elevation of a structural steel member in completed form, which structural steel member results from further treatment of the member as shown in Figures 4 and 5;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the plane indicated by the arrows 7-7 of Fi ure 6;

igure 8 shows in side elevation another commercial rolled shape, an angle being chosen for illustration, a wall or ange of said angle being provided with apertures illustrating an initial operation inthe treatment of said angle according to the present invention;

` Flgure 9 is an end view of the structure shown in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a View similar to Figure 9- but showing certain of the apertures referred to in connection with Figure 8 connected by longitudinally extending slits;

Figure 11 is an end view of the structure shown in Figure 10 but showing one of the' walls of the angle swedged transversely;

Fi ure 12 is an end view showing a transverse y swedged portion in an intermediate stage of the operation for swinging said transversely swedged portion from the posi,

tion illustrated in Figure 11 to the position 'chosen for illustrating the invention in Figures 1 to 7 An I-beam of standard design is indicated bythe numeral 10, the web 11 of which I-beam is provided with transversely disposed slits 12-12 extendin part way across said web, symmetrical y of said web, which slits are arranged in pairs said pairs being Apreferably equi-space along a mid portion of the length of the II- beam. Arranged symmetrically with reference to the pairs of slits 12-12 are other sets 'of transverse slitsv 13-13, said slits 13-13 being arranged in sets of four. The outer extremities of the slits 12-12 are preferably disposed along lines 14e-14 arranged parallel with the axis of the I-beam 10. The outer extremities of the slits 13--13 are disposed along parallel lines 15-15, which are also substantially parallel with the axis of the I-beam 10. The inner extremities of the slits 13'13 are defined by the lines l4--14. Those slits 13-13 dis- --posed at the two extremities of the slitted vportion of the'I-beani 10 may be elongated to communicate with each other to 'form the elongated slits indicated by themumeral 16 l l l I .ln' addition to the transverse slits'12--12 slits13. 4The slits 18-18. are disposed in `overlapping relationship with lthe slits 17 thereby providing ribbons orlacings which' may be swedged from the plane of the web 11 to provide an expanded metal structure. By reasonof t e arran ement of slits as 'l above described, aplurality of lacings 19 are provided, separated by portions 20-20, which will be referred `to herein as intacts, said .intacts being defined by the slits 12-12.

' It will be noted that the outer 'slits 18--18 I are disposed inA pairs, their intacts 20-120 being directly oppsite each other., The in- `tacts between the slits 17-17 are disposed form-the lacings, as shown in Figii formed in the same operation, the tool,21

having alwidth equal to the distance be' 'tween said slits -18.' The semi-completed Abe emplo e 1 ponent o i material value is applied in the midway between lthe intacts of said slits tially half the length'of the slits 12T-12.

,The I-beam 10, slitted as above described,

vis subjected to a swedging operation, a

wedge-shaped tool 21 being provided to deres 4 and 5. 'In practice,the cutting of the slits 18 and the deformiiig" of the lacingsvare perstructure shown in Figures 4 and 5 is then subjected to a pulling vor drawing o erationthe two anges of the I-beam eing pulled (directly away from each othergjor, ifpreferred, pushing force in the direction of the arrows in Figures 4 and 5 may be ap plied to spread the flanges; or a combination of said ulling and pushing forces may so long as-a resultant comoriginal plane of the web 11. The actof separating the two flanges of the I-'beam 10 will naturally tend to pull the deformed lacings 19--19 back to positions symmetrical with the web of the I- beam. In order to do that, however, said lacin must 'turii at right angles to said web that is, at right angles to their original plane), so that the final expanded product'will' have the shape position connecting slitsof one set of slits 13 toslits of the next adjacent set of tures bein shown in lan and in cross section in Figures 6 an 7, respectively the center joint or intact being a U-shaped cross section on the intacts 20-20. -As appears in Figure 6, the lacings form intersecting vdiagonals, providing a diamond-shaped conformation.

The structure shown in Figure 6 takes the form of a"beam, said structure bein illustrated as having the lower half of its end portions swedged upwardl 5 into engagement with the upper half t ereof; this arrangement being advantageous when the structure is to be used as a beam. If preferred, reenforcing members '22, such as tubing, may be disposed between and preferably welded to the upper and lower portions of the structure. Though Figure' 6 il- `lustra`tes a beam, it will be clear that the invention is equally applicable yto columns, diagonals and other structuralmembers.

Referring now to Figures 8 to 16, inclusive an angle of commercial design is chosen or illustrating the invention.- The two walls or flanges of a commercial an le are indicated by the numerals 23-23'. erations upon one of said Walls 23-23 will be described in detail, itO being understood that similar operations may be performed upon the other wall or ange 23. Tip? numerals 24-24 indicate apertures which ma conveniently take the form of squares, sai aperdisposed in groups longitudinally of e corresponding wall or flanges 23. Said apertures 24--24 are disposed midway of the width of their corresponding ange, and preferably are of the same size and equi-distant from the edge of the flange. Pairs ofo said apertures 24-24 are relatively close together, said pairs being spaced apartv wt predetermined distances alongthe structural steelmember. Arranged symmetricalj ly with each pair of adjacent apertures 24 -is a notch 25 located in the edge of the corresponding wall 23. One of the apertures 24a-in each pair of adjacent apertures is connected with the next aperture of the neighboring pair of adjacent apertures by means of slits 26. Said slits 26-26 are inline with one another, being separated bythe intacts 271-427. Symmetrically disposed in thev space between each slit. 26 and the edge of the corresponding flange orwall 23 is an l aperture 28 which may be used as a rivet hole in providing a fabricated structure shown in Fi res 15 and 16. Theslits 26-26 rovi e lacings, which lacin s' are" indicate by the numerals 29,r and said lacings according to the` present invention are -swedged transversely of the lcorrespondingI wall 23 to take the an ular form illustrated in Figures 11 andl14, teswed 'ng force being applied symmetrically 'o said lacings 29-29 and being applied in such a manner as to leave flat portions 30-30 intermediate l of the length of said lacings .29.

- thickness thereof. The short axes of said A distorting force is then applied to the structuralsteel shape to swing the swedged lacings 29 out of a position at rightangles with the corresponding wall 23 into a position symmetrical with said corresponding wall 23. Figure 12 shows an intermediate position of a lacing 29 in the swinging movement referred to. Figure 13 shows the final position of the lacing 29 relative to the corresponding wall 23. The notches 25 aid in permitting the swinging action referred to with a minimum of destructive stresses within the metal of the structural steel shape. The strips of lacings 29 have faces which are relatively broad compared to the broad faces, as the parts are viewed in Figures 13 and 14, are normal to the wall 23 from which they are swedged.

Though the above description has` been outlined with reference to only one wall or flange 23 of the structural steel member, it 'will be understood, of course, that the other wall may be similarly treated.

Figures l5 and 16 illustrate a fabricated structuremade up of four angles, both walls of which have been treated in the manner above described. Corresponding flats 30-30 of two structural steel members which have beentreated as above described are placed in contact .with one another and riveted or otherwise secured together by suitable holding means 31.

By reason of the present invention a method is provided whereb expanded metal structures may be manu actured from commercial rolled shapes which expanded metal structures will have decided advantages in a commercial sense.

Though two embodiments of the present invention have been chosen for purposes of illustration, it willbe understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It is intended to cover all such modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

vVlhat is claimed is- 1. An expanded metal structure comprising an integral member having flanges upon the two opposite sidesthereof, 1' web portions contiguous to said flanges, and diagonals connecting said web portions, said diagonale intersecting one another to form diamond shapes, said diagonals .being disposed in planes normal to thel plane of said web portions. r'

2. An expanded metal'structure comprising an integral member having opposite fianges, web portions disposed adjacent to said flanges and in right angular relationship therewith, and intersectingl diagonals arranged in diamond-shaped conformation, said diagonals being disposed in planes in right angular relationship to said web portions.

3. An expanded metal structure comprising an integral member including a web `portion having openings within the boundaries of said web portion, said openings being defined by diagonally intersecting members, said members being disposed in planes at right angles to the plane of said web portion.

4. An expanded metal structure comprising an integral member including a web portion having openings within the bounthe short axes of said wide faces being normal to said wall portion.

6. An expanded metal-structure comprising an integral member having a 'flat wall portion and pairs of diagonal strips-connected to reach other and to said wall portion, said strips having wide faces relative to the thickness of saidl strips, the short axes of said wide faces being normal to said wall portion, each of said diagonal strips being disposed symmetrically with reference to the plane of said wall portion.

- 7 An expanded metal structure comprising-an integral member including a iatwall portion and a plurality of lacings swedged from said wall portion, each of sai'd lacings including a pair of strips connected to each other and directly connected to said wall portion, said strips having wide faces relative to the thickness of said strips, the short axes of said wide faces being 'normal to said wall ortion. 8. n expanded metal structure comprising an integral member including a fiat wall ortion and a plurality of lacings swedged rom said wall portion, each of said lacings including a pair of strips connected to each other and to said wall portion, said strips having wide faces relative to the thickness .of said strips, the short axes of said wide faces being normal to said wall portion, each of said strips being disposed symmetrically v' with reference to the plane of said wall portion. l

9. A beam comprising an'expanded metal structure, said expanded metal structure being an integral member including a web portion having openings between the boundaries of said web portion, said openings being deined by diagonal intersecting members, said members being disposed in planes at right angles to the plane of said web .portion, said web portion being provided with iangesv at the `two sides thereof, which anges vare parallel with one another, throghont the major portion of their length, one of said flanges being swedged into adjaceney with the flange vat the opposite side of said expanded metalstructure.

t Signedv at Gary, Indiana, this 14th dayof July, 1927. WALTER A. BATES. 

